Jews' Court, Lincoln facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jew's Court |
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The façade of Jew's Court in
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Rite | Liberal |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status |
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| Location | |
| Location | Steep Hill, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England |
| Country | United Kingdom |
 Location in Lincolnshire
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| Architecture | |
| Architectural style | Norman architecture |
| Completed | (Catalan) |
| Materials | Stone |
Jews' Court is a very old building in Lincoln, England. It is a Jewish museum, which means it teaches about Jewish history. It is also a synagogue, a special place where Jewish people can worship. You can find it on a famous street called Steep Hill. This building is so important that it was officially listed as a 'Grade I building' in 1953. It also serves as the main office for the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology.
A Look Back in Time
Jew's Court is right next to another famous old building called Jew's House. This stone building was built a very long time ago, around the year 1170! Over the years, it has been changed a bit. For example, its windows were replaced in the 1700s and early 1800s.
Some people thought Jew's Court might have been a medieval synagogue, which is a Jewish place of worship. However, recent studies show that most of the very old stone parts of the building are actually below ground. Records from 1290, when Jewish people had to leave Lincoln, show that Jew's Court was always two separate houses. An old document from 1316 also mentions that a Jewish school or synagogue was located behind these two houses, to the west.
In 1910, someone dug a well in the basement of the building. The owner then claimed that a famous historical figure, Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln, had been found there. The owner even charged people money to come and see the well!
By the early 1900s, the building had been divided into many small, cheap homes. The Lincoln City Council bought it in 1924. In 1928, they even planned to tear it down as part of a plan to clear old buildings. But a group called the Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society stepped in. They objected to the demolition and were given the building by the city council. The condition was that they had to fix it up.
In 1966, the building was passed to the Jews' Court and Bardney Abbey Trust. This trust later joined with the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology in 2019. Today, the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology has its main office at Jew's Court. The building also has a room for lectures and a bookshop.
The Synagogue Today
The Lincolnshire Jewish Community is a group that belongs to Liberal Judaism. Since 1992, they have been holding their Shabbat (weekly holy day) and High Holy Day services in the lecture room at Jew's Court. One of their services was even filmed for a TV series called The Story of the Jews by Simon Schama.
Images for kids
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Jews' Court is next to the Jew's House on Steep Hill, Lincoln
